Picture frame



Nov. 5, 1957 .1. T. CLARK 2,811,799

PICTURE FRAME Filed March 9, 1954 INVENTOR. JOfl/V 7 CL/IQA xrram/ii sUnited States Patent PICTURE FRAME John Terry Clark, San Francisco,Calif.

Application March 9, 1954, Serial No. 414,927

1 Claim. (Cl. 40-152) This invention relates to and in general has forits object the provision of a picture frame readily molded from aplastic, and of such construction that a picture can be mounted thereinin a very short interval of time, at the same time preserving theappearance of a conventi-onal frame. Due to its simplicity ofmanufacture this frame can be sold at a very modest price.

More specifically, the object of this invention is the provision of apicture frame provided at one end and along a substantial portion of itssides with an interior channel for the reception of a resilient backingsheet and wherein the backing sheet is provided at one of its ends andalong adjacent portions of its sides with a marginal stiffening framereceivable in a notch or recess formed in the back side of the pictureframe and forming a continuation thereof so as to preserve theconventional appearance of the latter.

The invention possesses other advantageous features, some of which, withthe foregoing, will be set forth at length in the following descriptionwhere that form of the invention which has been selected forillustration in the drawings accompanying and forming a part of thepresent specification, is outlined in full. In said drawings, one formof the invention is shown, but it is to be understood that it is notlimited to such form, since the invention as set forth in the claim maybe embodied in other forms.

Referring to the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a longitudinal mid-section taken through a picture frameembodying the objects of my invention.

Fig. 2 is an isometric view of the backing sheet of the frameillustrated in Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is an isometric view of the rear side of the frame illustrated inFig. l.

The picture frame, as illustrated in these figures, comprises a moldedplastic rectangular frame generally designated by the reference numeral1 and includes first and second opposed parallel ends 2 and 3 and firstand second opposed parallel sides 4 and 5. Here the ends of the framehave been distinguished from its sides only for convenience inidentification; otherwise, it is immaterial which of these pairs ofelements are referred to as ends or sides.

conventionally, these ends and sides are provided adjacent their frontfaces with inwardly extending flanges 6 for supporting a sheet 7 ofglass or other transparency.

Formed in the frame end 2 and frame sides 4 and are internal channels 8and formed in the frame end 3 and in the adjacent portions of the framesides 4 and 5 is a recess or notch 9.

Receivably in the internal channels 8 is a frame backing sheet 11defining with the transparency 7 a narrow compartment 12 for the snugreception of a picture and its mat, these latter two elements not beingillustrated.

Surrounding the righthand end 13 of the backing sheet 11, as viewed inall three figures, is a U-shaped plastic stiffening frame 14 includinglegs 15 and 16 and a base or cross member 17, and formed therein is aninternal channel 18 symmetrically formed on the medial plane of theframe 14 and in which the marginal edges of the backing sheet 11 arecemented. The backing sheet 11 should be made of a stiff but flexibleand resilient material such as paper pressboard, and the overall lengththereof, including that added thereto by its frame, should be onlyslightly less than the distance between the vertical Wall 19 of the mainframe end 3 and the vertical wall 21 of the channel 8 formed in the mainframe end 2. By observing these relationships of parts, the framebacking sheet 11 can be slid into the main frame with the backing framesnugly accommodated within the main frame recesses or notches 9. From aninspection of Fig. 1, it will be seen that this movement is madepossible only because of the resiliency of the backing sheet 11, therighthand end of this sheet being bent away from the main frame 1 untilthe cross member 17 of the backing frame 14 just clears the inner edgeof the vertical wall 19 of the notch or recess 9. When this takes place,the backing frame immedaitely moves downwardly into the main framerecess 9 under the biasing or spring action of the backing sheet so asto form a continuation of the main frame. Here it should be observedthat the free ends of the legs 15 and 16 of the backing frame constrainthe backing sheet to bend substantially along a line passing through theends of the legs 15 and 16. In other words, this constitutes the hingeline of the backing sheet and the backing frame serves as convenienthand grip for manipulation of the backing sheet.

It should also be observed here that the righthand ends of the mainframe channels 8 are provided with re-entrance or guide surfaces 21 forguiding the leading lateral edges of the backing sheet into the lateralmain frame channels 8.

Formed adjacent the righthand end of the backing sheet 11 is a fingerhole 22 for further aiding in manipulating the backing sheet 11.Fastened to the outer face of the backing sheet 11 are centered hangingeyelets 23 and 24 for enabling the frame to be hung selectively ineither a vertical or horizontal position, as desired.

Since the backing sheet 11 is symmetrically mounted in the backing frame14, it is reversible side for side. If then the backing sheet is bowed,it can be inserted in the main frame in its upwardly bowed position sothat its backing frame will then be biased downwardly into snugengagement with the floor of the main frame recesses or notches 9.

As a result of this construction, it will be seen that l have provided apicture frame which, when in its operative and hung position, has theappearance of a conventional frame, which can be readily molded from asuitable plastic and, therefore, made and sold at a relatively low cost,and which enables a picture to be mounted therein or removed therefromwithout the aid of any tools, in a very short interval of time.

I claim:

A rectangular picture frame comprising: first and second opposedparallel frame ends and first and second opposed parallel frame sideseach provided adjacent one face of said frame with an inwardly extendingtransparency and picture supporting flange, said first frame end andboth of said frame sides being provided With an interior picture backingreceiving channel, and the rear face of said second frame end and thecontiguous portions of said frame sides being formed with notches forthe reception of a U-shaped backing frame; a backing frame U-shaped incontour, snugly accommodated within said notches to form a continuationof said second frame end and frame sides, said backing frame beingprovided with an interior channel forming a continuation of the saidpicture backing receiving channel provided in said first ReferencesCited in the file of this patent frame end and in said frame sides, aresilient picture backing sheet secured to said backing frame within itssaid UNI'FED STATES PATENTS interior channel, the free marginal edges ofsaid backing 1,270,475 Wllkenson June 1918 sheet being snuglyaccommodated with the saidinterior 5 2,521,411 Rosenberg Sept- 1950channels of said frame sides and first frame end; FOREIGN PATENTS106,356 Great Britain May 24, 1917 361,114 Great Britain Nov. 19, 1931

